Album Review: Allen Ginsberg - The Last Word on First Blues

“Allen Ginsberg is not only one of the world’s best poets,
but one of its finest citizens as well,” wrote legendary producer John Hammond,
when he released the First Blues double
LP on his own label in 1983. “Long impressed with his musical abilities—I
recorded Allen in 1976 but Columbia Records refused to issue the results,
considering the songs obscene and disrespectful—I am thrilled to finally be
able to present Allen... I will present ‘disrespectful’ music like this as often
as possible.”

Hammond—who also championed such diverse artists as Dylan,
Springsteen, Leonard Cohen, and Robert Johnson—was right, as usual. So it’s
good to finally see a rerelease of First
Blues, which has been out of print for years and has sometimes been difficult to find. This lavishly packaged collection delivers all of the original
album on two CDs, plus a bonus disc of previously unreleased rarities, including
outtakes from the 1983 set, a couple of 1984 live performances, and a session
with Bob Dylan. A booklet presents extensive new commentary on the recordings
plus Ginsberg’s handwritten and typewritten notes, some lyrics, and an
assortment of photos. This really does seem to be the last word on First Blues that the title promises.

What to expect? Basically, the same quirky and consistently fascinating
Allen Ginsberg that emerges from poetic works like Howl, Kaddish, and Wichita Vortex Sutra, only with likable folk- and
blues-influenced instrumental accompaniment and—on certain tracks—a beat. He is
funny, idiosyncratic, rebellious, profane, political, and profound, often all
in the same song. The titles—which should give you a sense of the turf
here—include “CIA Dope Calypso,” “Stay Away from the White House,” “Do the
Meditation Rock,” “Come Along Vietnam,” and “You Are My Dildo,” Clearly, this
is not a guy who was looking to break into the Top 40.

The album, which sounds charmingly homespun throughout, frequently
delivers more musical pleasure than you might expect. And while it holds up
pretty well today, it also does a great job of conjuring up the era of Nixon,
Watergate, hippies, Yippies, and Vietnam. It’s not for everyone, but then
again, it never tries to be.

Jeff Burger (byjeffburger.com), a longtime magazine editor, has written about music, politics, and popular culture for more than 75 periodicals. His books include Dylan on Dylan: Interviews and Encounters, Lennon on Lennon: Conversations with John Lennon, Springsteen on Springsteen: Interviews, Speeches…